8O1 

.N55 
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30th  CONGRESS,  [SENATE.]  MISCELLANEOUS. 

Nn-  5- 


PETITION 


THE  PEOPLE  OF  NEW  MEXICO; 

Assembled  in   convention^  praying  the  organization  of  a  territorial  gov 

eminent. 


DECEMBER  13,  1848. 
Referred  to  the  Committee  on  Territories,  and  ordered  to  be  printed. 


Petition  of  the  people  of  New  Mexico,  assembled  in  convention,  to  the 
Congress  of 'the  United  States  of  America. 

We,  the  people  of  New  Mexico,  respectfully  petition  Congress  for  the 
speedy  organization,by  law  of  a  territorial  civil  government  for  us. 

We  respectfully  petition  Congress  to  grant  us  a  government  purely 
civil  in  its  character. 

We  respectfully  represent  that  the  organic  and  statute  laws  promul- 
gated by  authority  of  the  United  States,  September  22,  1846,  for  the  tem- 
porary civil  government  of  New  Mexico,  (a  copy  of  which  is  herewith 
despatched,)  with  some  few  alterations,  would  be  acceptable  to  us. 

We  desire  the  following  offices  be  filled  by  appointment  of  the  Presi- 
dent of  the  United  States,  by  and  with  the  advice  and  consent  of  the  Sen- 
ate :  the  governor,  secretary  of  State,  United  States  marshal,  United  States 
district  attorney,  and  judges. 

We  desire  to  have  all  the  usual  rights  of  appeal  from  the  courts  of  this 
Territory  to  the  Supreme  Court  of  the  United  States. 

We  respectfully  but  firmly  protest  against  the  dismemberment  of  our 
Territory  in  favor  of  Texas,  or  £or  any  cause. 

We  do  not  desire  to  have  domestic  slavery  within  our  borders,  and  un- 
til the  time  shall  arrive  for  our  admission  into  the  Union  as  a  State,  we 
desire  to  be  protected  by  Congress  against  their  introduction  amongst  us. 

We  desire  a  local  legislature  such  as  is  prescribed  in  the  laws  of  New 
Mexico,  September  22,  1846,  subject  to  the  usual  acts  of  Congress. 

We  desire  that  our  interests  may  be  represented  by  a  delegate  who  is 
to  be  entitled  to  have  a  seat  on  the  floor  of  the  Congress  of  the  United 
States. 

In  consideration  of  the  fact  that  New  Mexico  contains  from  75,000  to 
10Q,00®  souls,  we  believe  that  we  have  made  no  unreasonable  requests, 

Tippin  &  Streeper,  printers. 

V 


[5]  2 

and  we  confidently  rely  upon  Congress  to  provide  for  us  laws  as  liberal 
as  any  enjoyed  by  any  of  her  Territories. 
SANTA  FE,  October  14,  1848. 

ANTONIO  JOSE  MARTINEZ, 

Presidents  de  la  Cundado  de  las,  $*c. 
J.  M.  GIDDINGS,  Secretary. 

FRANCISCO  SARRAINO. 

JAMES  H.  QU1NN. 

GREGORIO  VIGIL. 

Y.  VIGIL. 

JUAN  PEREA. 

ANTONIO  SACERLE. 

RAMON  CRUOS. 

CHARLES  BEAUBIEN. 

E.  P.  WEST. 

MANUAL  ANTONIO  OTERO. 

0.  ARCHABALD. 

JOSE  PLEY. 

Petition  del  Pueblo  del  Nuevo  Mejico  reunido  en  convention  al  Congreso 
de  los  Estados  Unidos  de  America  : 

El  Pueblo  del  Nuevo  Mejico  respectuosarnente  pedimos  al  Congreso  uria 
pronta  organisacion  de  leyes  para  un  gobierno  civil  territorial  adecuada  a 
las  circunstancias  de  nuestro  pais. 

Pedimos  respectuosarnente  al  Congreso  que  el  gobierno  que  se  nos  con- 
ceda  sea  de  un  caracter  puramente  civil. 

Respect uosamente  solicitamos  que  la  ley  ojganica  y  estatutos  promul- 
gados  por  autoridad  de  los  Estados  Unidos  el  dia  22  de  Setiembre,  1846, 
provisionalmente  para  gebierno  civil  de  Nuevo  Mejico  (copia  de  lo  cual 
remitemos,)  con  algunas  alteraciones,  nos  seria  deseable. 

Deseamos  que  los  destinos  de  gobernador,  secretario  de  estado,  alguacil 
mayor,  procurador  general,  y  jueces,  sean  llenados  por  nombramiento  del 
Presidente  de  los  Estados  Unidos  con  el  consentimiento  y  la  aprobacion 
del  Senado. 

Deseamos  tener  el  derecho  acostumbrado  de  apelacion  de  las  cortes  de 
este  territorio  a  la  Corte  Suprema  de  los  Estados  Unidos. 

Con  el  respecto  devido,  solicitamos  encarecidamente  que  ni  a  favor  de 
Tejas,  ni  por  ninguna  otra  causa,  se  permite  el  desmembranriento  de  nu- 
estro territorio. 

Por  ninguna  causa  deseamos  la  esclavitud  domestica  dentro  de  nues- 
tros  limites,  y  rogamos  al  Congreso  que  nos  protije  contra  su  iritroducion 
hasta  el  ser  admitidos  en  la  Union  como  Estado  libre. 

Deseamos  una  legislatura  local  tal  como  esta  prescrila  por  las  leyes  del 
Nuevo  Mejico  promulgadas  en  Setiembre  22  de  1846,  sujeta  a  los  actos 
acostumbrados  del  Congreso. 

Deseamos  que  nuestros  intereses  sean  representados  por  un  delegado 
que  tenga  derecho  a'un  asiento  en  el  Congreso  de  los  Estados  Unidos. 

Tomando  en  eonsideracion  que  el  Nuevo  Mejico  contiene  de  75  a  100 
mil  almas,  creemos  que  no  hemos  hecho  una  peiicion  inmoderada,  y  des- 
cansamos  en  la  confiariza  que  el  Congreso  nos  proveera  con  leyes  igualmeu- 
te  liberalcs  como  las  que  gozan  los  demas  territories  de  la  Unjon. 

SANTA  FE,  Octubre  14  de  1848. 


